The Stephen King Master Thread

[Lacit170]

Originally Posted by dallywhitty

I'm reading The Stand at the moment. I've read it before but this is my first time reading The Complete and Uncut Edition. Already I've noticed numerous passages which I don't remember being in the original edition. It can be jarring, though, reading references to post-'78 media which King's obviously rewritten into the book.

the only version i read was the uncut edition... would be curious to know what was added and which version is the better read...

[kdawq]

Just bought my first SK book today (Pet Semetery) looking forward to starting it, I've only read biographies up to this point. I've seen the movie a few times and still find it scary, is the book a scarier read?

[Lacit170]

Originally Posted by kdawq

Just bought my first SK book today (Pet Semetery) looking forward to starting it, I've only read biographies up to this point. I've seen the movie a few times and still find it scary, is the book a scarier read?

i would imagine it is... one of my fav. king movies and have the book at home ive yet to read....

[Dr. Seymour Love]

Originally Posted by kdawq

Just bought my first SK book today (Pet Semetery) looking forward to starting it, I've only read biographies up to this point. I've seen the movie a few times and still find it scary, is the book a scarier read?

It's definitely one of his darker works.

[jarrod_inf]

Originally Posted by dallywhitty

I'm reading The Stand at the moment. I've read it before but this is my first time reading The Complete and Uncut Edition. Already I've noticed numerous passages which I don't remember being in the original edition. It can be jarring, though, reading references to post-'78 media which King's obviously rewritten into the book.

I've never read the original but a few passages were obviously rewritten to be more modern. Still love it to death and try to read it every year.

Working my way (quickly) through Mr. Mercedes then on to Finders Keepers.

So far I've finished:
Salems lot
Needful things
The shining
The stand
Under the dome
The green mile
Different seasons
Misery
Dead zone
11/22/63
The gunslinger

[fatediesel]

I finished 11/22/63 last night. I liked it but thought it was a little too long and didn't love the ending. Next I'll read End of Watch. I liked Mr. Mercedes and Finders Keepers so I'm anxious to see how the trilogy ends.

[Abby is Q]

I finished Cujo for the first time earlier this month. Did not care for it. Next in my queue (after my current book) is The Gunslinger though (first time read). I also picked up Doctor Sleep recently and hope to read that sometime in the next month. How would others say it compares to The Shining?

[Spikes-of-Fury]

King books I've read:

The Stand (uncut)
Insomnia
Hearts in Atlantis
On Writing
From a Buick 8
All 8 Dark Tower books
Under the Dome
11/22/63
Joyland
Just After Sunset

I actually started with The Gunslinger and the Dark Tower series as my first King books, and then read some of those others because of their connections to the series (it was fun to spot the references). I have to say I didn't love Just After Sunset (one of his short story collections). There were a few good ones in there, but I found that he tended to be more on the nose in the short story format, as if he didn't have room for subtlety because of the length constraints. I enjoy his novels more. I'm also not the biggest horror fan, so I haven't really bothered with King's horror stuff even though it's what he's most known for.

A note about The Gunslinger: depending on your taste, you may find it slow and dull or you may love it. It doesn't necessarily reflect the rest of the Dark Tower series, which gets much more interesting (and throws in more fantasy elements) by the second book.

[dallywhitty]

Originally Posted by Abby is Q

I finished Cujo for the first time earlier this month. Did not care for it. Next in my queue (after my current book) is The Gunslinger though (first time read). I also picked up Doctor Sleep recently and hope to read that sometime in the next month. How would others say it compares to The Shining?

I like Cujo but it's definitely one of my least favourite King novels, alongside Dreamcatcher and Cell. Doctor Sleep is extremely good, though, and I may even prefer it to The Shining. I'd agree with Spikes-of-Fury's assessment of The Gunslinger. It feels like a prologue in a lot of ways as it's very different to the books that followed. It's more a western than a fantasy novel. I really like it but then some folks find it difficult to get into. I'd recommend persevering as it's a relatively short book and the second one, The Drawing of the Three, is one of my favourites.

I've grouped his others into categories:

[Show spoiler]READ:

Carrie
Salem's Lot
The Shining
Rage
The Stand
The Long Walk
Night Shift
The Dead Zone
Firestarter
Danse Macabre
Cujo
Different Seasons
Christine
Pet Sematary
Cycle of the Werewolf
Thinner
It
Misery
The Tommyknockers
Needful Things
Gerald’s Game
Insomnia
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
On Writing
Dreamcatcher
The Colorado Kid
Cell
Lisey's Story
Just After Sunset
Under the Dome
Blockade Billy
Full Dark, No Stars
11/22/63
Joyland
Doctor Sleep
Mr Mercedes
Revival
Finders Keepers
The Bazaar of Bad Dreams
End of Watch
The Outsider
Elevation
The Institute
If It Bleeds
Later

The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger
The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three
The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands
The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass
The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla (x2)
The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah
The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower
The Wind through the Keyhole: A Dark Tower Novel

UNREAD:

Roadwork
The Running Man
The Talisman
Skeleton Crew
The Eyes of the Dragon
The Dark Half
Four Past Midnight
Dolores Claiborne
Nightmares and Dreamscapes
Rose Madder
The Green Mile
Desperation
The Regulators
Bag of Bones
Hearts in Atlantis
Black House
Everything’s Eventual
From a Buick 8
Blaze
Duma Key
Gwendy's Button Box
Sleeping Beauties

[dissention]

The Tommyknockers is my favorite King book and I try to read it every summer, though I know (and understand why) it's considered one of his worst. I think it's his most potent work and while I've enjoyed most of the books he published afterward, none have come close to the feverish brilliance of that one; he went off the deep end with it and I love it.

Big fan of Duma Key, too.

[dallywhitty]

Originally Posted by dissention

The Tommyknockers is my favorite King book and I try to read it every summer, though I know (and understand why) it's considered one of his worst. I think it's his most potent work and while I've enjoyed most of the books he published afterward, none have come close to the feverish brilliance of that one; he went off the deep end with it and I love it.

I've seen the mini-series but never read the novel, at least not in its entirety. It's one I hope to finally read in the near future, though, after I've finished End of Watch followed by Alan Moore's Watchmen. I've always been intrigued by its reputation, it having been written at the height of King's alcoholism.

By the way, I'm nearing the conclusion of End of Watch and I think it's the weakest of the trilogy. It's still an entertaining read but the interweaving of 'grounded' detective work and supernatural elements doesn't work all that well (surprisingly so, because King's usually good at that sort of thing). It just doesn't have that same gotta-keep-reading edge that its predecessors had.

[fatediesel]

I finished End of Watch and didn't really love it. I didn't think the Bill Hodges story needed to be a trilogy and would have been fine if his story had just ended after Finders Keepers. It wasn't a bad book, but it was just very different from the first two books and the supernatural elements just didn't gel.

[eightslicesofpie]

I'd never read any King before reading "It" last October, which instantly became one of my favorite books and started me on a binge that I haven't stopped since (with a few books from other authors sprinkled in every once in a while, though).

I decided to read The Dark Tower series along with all the tie-in books, using this list as a guide: https://www.amazon.com/gp/richpub/li...R10YBYAJZD1OGQ

During my lunch break today I finished "Hearts in Atlantis" and am going to start "Wind Through the Keyhole" before diving into "Wolves of the Calla" since it chronologically takes place before.

Gotta say I've been loving this experience, reading about Roland and the ka-tet while also getting these deep connections and references in the other standalone stories. I'm trying to get it all done before the movie comes out in February, and it seems like I'm on track to have that done without any problem!

[BladeRunner2007]

IT and The Stand are two of my favorite novels of all time. I just finished reading the graphic novel adaption of The Stand the other day and it was absolutely brilliant. The pacing was great, the dialog was spot on as well as the 3rd person narrator and the visuals were almost 100% (at least 95%) identical to what I had imagined while reading the book last year. This is definitely my favorite visual adaption of this novel. Much better than the already great(!) TV mini-series adaption from the 90s. Loved every second, every page, every image of it. 5/5 for this brilliant graphic novel adaption of The Stand.

Now, I just hope that somewhere down the line the exact same team will do a graphic novel adaption of IT. It would work so wonderfully and they could do it justice, because they could literally include everything from the novel and make it work. Especially the ending with the Ritual of Chüd. And the constant timeline shifting would work so well with this medium. This could easily become the most faithful and satisfying visual(!) adaption of IT.

King's writing in general is perfect for graphic novel adaptions as he writes so elaborately that he creates these amazing pictures in your head and now they just need to be slapped on a page and bam there you have your graphic novel adaption

[eightslicesofpie]

Finished The Dark Tower in early December and got the new box set of the series as a Christmas gift, which looks really beautiful. I really liked the series, and I hope the movie does it justice (or is at least not bad, haha)

I think "11/22/63" might overall be my favorite book I read in 2016

[Travis]

Never read any of the Gunslinger books, but have heard nothing but great things. One of these days.

I really loved The Eyes of the Dragon. I read it around 1990 I guess. Thinking of ordering it. Hope it still holds up.

Have 11/22/63 sitting on my table. It will keep me busy for a while.

[ChainsawJedi]

Originally Posted by dallywhitty

I've seen the mini-series but never read the novel, at least not in its entirety. It's one I hope to finally read in the near future...I've always been intrigued by its reputation, it having been written at the height of King's alcoholism.

I thought The Tommyknockers (which is bloody awful, by the way) was written at the height of his cocaine addiction. All those nose bleeds...

[Spencer_Kain92]

Anybody know anything about the new novella, "Gwendy's Button Box"? Haven't even heard of it but saw something about it on King's website.

[KenHurd]

Originally Posted by Spencer_Kain92

Anybody know anything about the new novella, "Gwendy's Button Box"? Haven't even heard of it but saw something about it on King's website.

It was just released the other day. It's currently being sold exclusively through Cemetery Dance Publications for its first printing, and it will be available in retail stores from its second printing forward. The ebook is currently available, too.

[ChainsawJedi]

I read Revival while on holiday. Blitzed it in about four days.

I think King is now a better writer than he's ever been. His early stuff is classic but then he had that middling period of which I wasn't too fond. Since that terrible accident he had, he's become a much better writer. I'd hate to think the two events were related.